Перечень составлен по данным сайта http://mudstats.com/, в качестве показателя популярности используется среднее количество игроков за 30 дней. Здесь в мады объедены MUD, MUCK и MUSH.

Tapestries MUCK

Среднее количество игроков — 525.

Tapestries MUCK is a cross between a real life BDSM play party, a free form roleplaying environment, and a social gathering place all within a Furry theme. It strives to provide a place for safe and free exploration of dominance and submission roleplay, as well as other forms of sexual expression in public and in private. Tapestries facilitates this by providing an environment that is populated exclusively by adult players and furry characters, as well as by setting guidelines that encourage tolerance and respect of other's fantasies and beliefs.

Shangrila MUSH

Среднее количество игроков — 438.

Shangrila is an adults-only BDSM fantasy roleplay MUX. We wish to provide a safe environment for adults to explore their sexuality within the exciting theme or go where their imaginations take them in one of the many areas provided. This game is no place for children. Adults only, please.

DragonRealms

Среднее количество игроков — 361.

A stormy realm of enchantment, danger, and intrigue, DragonRealms is an ever-expanding, massively-multiplayer text-based roleplaying environment. The world of Elanthia includes tens of thousands of 'rooms' spread out within the five known provinces and over twenty major cities with many surrounding areas and creature types unique to each of them. Players can choose from eleven different races which include the fantasy-genre standards likes Elves, Dwarves, and Halflings, as well as several unique races like the feline Prydaen, the reptilian S'Kra Mur, or the Rakash who change from man to beast during the moon's cycles. There are eleven professions to choose from in this totally skill-based advancement system which include Necromancers, shunned and outcast by both the gods and by normal society; Empaths, who transfer wounds from their patients' bodies to their own and cannot harm living things; the money-driven Traders, who traverse the continents delivering goods and commodities; Moon Mages, who get their teleporting and conjuring power from the world's three moons; and Warrior Mages, who wield a powerful combination of elemental magic and weapons. The game-world and all of its systems are in a constant state of growth and development and the game is supported by a devoted staff of dozens of GameMasters with years of experience. There is a vast and dedicated player community as well, providing a large player-maintained wiki offering various information and up to the minute news about the game (http://www.elanthipedia.org). We now offer a Free to Play subscription tier, so you have absolutely nothing to lose by giving DragonRealms a look! DragonRealms is a Simutronics product (http://www.play.net/corporate/), a world leader in online gaming since 1989.

AardwolfMUD

Среднее количество игроков — 267.

Established in 1996, Aardwolf has grown to be a highly popular MUD with several hundred players online at any given time. Featuring a line of sight overhead map, a realistic game world and exploration rankings, Aardwolf is the perfect mud for explorers. There are 7 high level classes split into 28 subclasses such as enchanters, barbarians, shaman, assassin, etc. Many quests and side games provide entertaining distractions and there is a very active MUD community. Stats actually matter and there are many ways to build your character based on your preferences and style of play. Real Player killing is optional and restricted (mostly) to clans. There are plenty of other ways to test your skills against others however. The areas are highly developed. Aardwolf features over 100,000 lines of Lua based area scripts to entertain, challenge and amuse. As you would expect from a well established MUD, there are many many features. The best introduction to Aardwolf is to drop by and check out our new Academy — an extensive tutorial and quest area. The academy was referred to by one of our newer players as «The most advanced mud school they have ever seen». One thing Aardwolf is not — a serious roleplaying MUD. If that is your preference there are many other fine MUDs for you to try. Our focus is on being a fun place to play, to be challenged when you want to be and take it easy when you don't. Non MUD related chat is not «tolerated», it is welcomed. It is, after all, a community.

Penultimate Destination

Среднее количество игроков — 262.

This is an Adult Mush mostly focused on the land of Empyrea, an isolated nation floating in the void of an empty dimension. The setting is specifically designed to allow for a wide variety of roleplay without breaking theme, and can include many different types of play. This is primarily meant as a means to explore sexual roleplay in a safe and accepting environment. Nonsexual roleplay is welcome and very common on the IC grid, especially socialization, and the culture and code also support expanding the theme with player-devised extensions.

Gemstone IV

Среднее количество игроков — 262.

GemStone (www.gemstone.net), the biggest multiplayer text-based game ever, has been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of players since 1989, and gets better every day! Explore up to 30,000 unique rooms, enjoy custom items and character appearances, hundreds of intelligent creatures to hunt and interact with, unique spells, festivals, roleplaying events, and constant improvements and expansions. Visit the documenation section on our website for detailed info on our races, professions, organizations, in-depth history, items and more. With a staff of over 100 professional GameMasters working day and night, GemStone is continually improving and expanding to meet your needs and wishes. Over 1000 players during prime hours share the fun every day — sign up for a FREE TRIAL and join the adventure! Or contact melissam@simutronics.com directly if you would like a free trial without the hassle of providing a credit card.

Achaea, Dreams of Divine Lands

Среднее количество игроков — 143.

An entirely original (no stock code or design) game focusing on player vs.player interaction. It's got one of the best PK systems around (fast,furious, and it takes real skill and practice to master), and it'scompletely different (and better) than anything you've seen. It's gothundreds of different skills and spells, really nice admins, and a verydeveloped and coherent history and world, including player-driven politicaland economic systems. Innovative guilds like the Occultists and Serpentlords, to popular standbys like the Templars and Druids.

New Worlds: Ateeran

Среднее количество игроков — 142.

New Worlds Ateraan is a full featured Intensive Roleplaying Game. Offering several unique and powerful guilds, races, politics, religion, justice, economy, and a storyline that is dominately player controlled with a history and background based on a novel for more robust roleplay direction. The Guilds range from your standard Fighter and Mage to the strange Retter and unique Merchant which is widely accepted as an enhanced roleplaying Guild with exciting features like guard hiring caravans, ship building and repair, clan building, house builing, auction houses, theater control, and reparations of weapons and armour. Religion is a topic of large debate and conflict, but definitely not the only one. With racial cities and two distinct nations of varying loyalty and politics, Ateraan abounds in opportunities for the new immigrant and the long time established player. Social standing can be as important as strength of arms and starting in New Worlds is simple and direct with staff members, guides and experience players to assist you. Murder and intrique can find you in dark alleys or on a highway, or you can seek gold and fame with groups ranging in size form solo to twenty or more adventurers raiding a stronghold, or you can relax on an open beach while fishing, digging for clams, finding crabs, or swimming in shark infested waters. The diversity of roleplay and adventure in New Worlds is astounding as you will find yourself aligned with a faith or clan, race or guild, or on a romantic get away to an inn or resturaunt with intelligent servers, or perhaps smoking gnome pipes while watching a theatrical performance in a fully operational and player run grand theater. And the serious roleplay only matches the hundreds of weapons, armours, creaturs, artifacts, and items of power. A newest feature is the massive shipyards that boast several unique styles of ships from the tiny two man dinghy to the sleek and fast cutter, to the huge fifteen crew and multiple room yacht, to the fortress of the sea war galleon that boasts over nine distinct and seperate weapons. Our ships and seas offer exciting quests, deep sea fishing, cargo caravan runs from various ports, pirate hoves and enemy ships, the ability to board and sink opposing ships, go on whaling runs, and battle other players at sea, even to the point of massive armada combat. All we ask of our roleplay focused playerbase is that you remain in character while in the game. While there are out of character areas, the game thrives and demands strict roleplaying, giving New Worlds the magic of a well written, yet unscripted story. What most have said about New Worlds, «Play it for a week, and show your style of roleplay, and we guarantee you will find a home here.» We have a player base that is 50/50 ratio of men and women, and a wide age range, so all will find their niche. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. We encourage you to visit the website to see the features of this game.

FurryMUCK

Среднее количество игроков — 138.

The biggest MUCK by far, and the best-known of the genre. Some folks roleplay all the time, some part of the time, some just sit around and talk. The advantage of FurryMUCK is its size: you can meet many interesting characters at every time of the day, and soon you have lots of friends. You can explore for weeks and you still haven't seen everything. However, size is also FurryMUCK's problem, although the new site (see below) may help matters. There is a building quota of 20 rooms, so if you want to build much more, you will perhaps better do it elsewhere. At the FurryMUCK greeting screen, type connect guest guest to get a guest character, and follow the instructions to read the help files and begin getting familiar with how things work. You will need to ask a wizard to let you out of the guest room into the MUCK. Type wizzes to see what wizards are online, and use page = to talk to them. If there are no wizards online, you must try again later. After that, if you want to get a permanent character, apply by email to the address given on the opening screen. Various information files can be read while connected, using the «info» command, and the Official FurryMUCK Web Pages have extensive documentation, at. The «Getting Started» section is especially helpful.

Flexible Survival

Среднее количество игроков — 138.

Prometheus virus was unleashed, in part due to the acts of its major researching company, Zephyr Inc. The virus, more nanite than any biological portion, tore the planet apart. Communication went down hours after release, and the populace was reduced, in large, to gibbering, insane, mutants of all shapes and perversions. You are a Zephyr Inc agent, piecing together what's left. Your mind has been spared dissolution or subversion, but your body remains like stiff clays to the untiring fingers of the promethean virus, constantly adapting to shape new forms. An adult erotic MUD like game. Features: Dynamic body changes while fighting, gain and lose powers on the fly! Master the powers you want and keep them even if you change(You can master more as you gain levels) Improve your mastered powers for more awesome! Supplement your mutant powers with gear and equipment! Adventure with friends. The wastes are safer with backup! Breed. Players can become pregnant and give birth. Children have mutant powers and can be summoned to aid in battle!

Некоторые выводы

Почти половина из топ-10 по популярности зарубежных мадов имеют adult-направленность (Tapestries MUCK, Shangrila MUSH, Penultimate Destination, Flexible Survival). О популярности таких мадов не принято говорить открыто. Гневные посты на эту тему, например, на http://www.mudconnect.com, тут же закрываются для комментариев. Пример: http://www.mudconnect.com/SMF/index.php?topic=79155.0. Показателен комментарий оттуда пользователя Darkozx:

For some strange reason this community defends pedo and furry MUDs with an ironfist of justice. People have said things before about how ****ed up some MUDs are but no one cares because most of them play those ****ed up sick MUDs. Go look on Mudstats.com and you'll notice that the top 10 most populated MUDs are either pedo sex MUDs or furry MUDs. It's sick, pathetic and a huge shame that people prefer to play those sad excuses for a MUD. It's even more sick and pathetic that we're outnumbered by the pedos and furries.

Из оставшихся в топ-10 два мада (DragonRealms и Gemstone IV) — чисто коммерческие, компании Simutronics с премиум аккаунтами.

Практически все мады из перечисленных имеют фэнтези-мир и очень стары, появились в девяностые годы прошлого века.